Don’t let year without budget slip from memory

Time might heal all wounds, but it doesn’t make them go away completely.

Memories remain, triggered by a glimpse in the mirror of the discolored patch of skin where the surgeon’s scalpel sliced or by hearing the song that was playing as she walked out of your life and left your heart breaking.

Some pangs shouldn’t be allowed to fade. They remind us of where we have been and how to avoid making the same mistakes again and again.

It’s usually those responsible for inflicting the wounds who hope the transgressions will be forgotten.

Take the legislature and administration of Illinois. By sliding through a stop-gap measure, the hope is there we will forgive and forget a year of name-calling, blame-shifting and inaction by the time the November elections roll around.

Don’t let that happen.

The stop-gap measure opened a trickle of the flow of needed funding that was shut off because of stubborn, arrogant bickering on both sides of the political poles. It wasn’t in time, nor did it go far enough, to accomplish much beyond the surface, though.

It was like throwing a bucket of water on a wildfire. The flames are going to win.

While it kept some needed social agencies and organizations from falling off the ledge, it won’t restore services that have already been cut to the bone or in most cases bring back the positions that were lost during the budget-less year.

Unless something more dramatic happens soon and the state is able to put a complete budget in place, it won’t be long until the state is in the same dire straits as before.

The reason no one wants to touch this hot-button issue now is because election time is too close for comfort. It is becoming clear a real budget is going to come with one of two options: major tax increases or major cuts in services. Lawmakers don’t seem to grasp the reality that you spend only the money you have available.

Either choice will not sit well with voters. If voters remember they are angry, they tend to make changes to those in office. Fortunately for elected officials, anger at the polls is short-lived.

So the idea is to coast on a stop-gap measure until after Nov. 9, when all the votes have been counted and people are back in their nice leather seats in Springfield.

Then wait for the surprises.

It’s the height of cowardice, particularly in light of a report last week that shows most General Assembly members are getting $100,000 or more for what is supposed to be a part-time position.

Although the base pay is “just” $67,836, there’s additional funds for serving on a committee or having other responsibilities.

After adding in pay for such things as mileage and per-diem payments while in session, keeping 177 state legislators costs us about $32 million a year, according to the Illinois Policy Institute.

It shows not only how out of touch with real-world finances our state legislature has become, but also provides a text-book illustration of why anything that could jeopardize their jobs often sits untouched.

Six-figure part-time jobs are hard to come by.

Especially those that so easily allow workers to ignore doing what they were hired to do.